Sustainability in Fast Fashion Retail
A service design approach towards conscious consumerism
Aashna Parekh worked in close collaboration with retail experts based in the UK during her masters at the University of the Arts London. Her thesis focuses on shifting consumer behaviour and actions in relation to fashion consumption. (Open the article in desktop for a better view of service blueprint and other info maps)
Discovery through a systemic approach
The initial research stemmed from discovering the meaning behind the three words — Retail, Sustainability, and Fast Fashion.
While defining the project scope the realization that there is no universal understanding of the meaning of sustainability became apparent.
In fact, there was a conflict in the goals of sustainability and retail. Striking a balance between the consumer, the planet, and the economy was key in defining the pillars that shaped the project.
Insights from the existing fashion model
#1 Overproduction: “The average time for an item of clothing to be sold in-store or online is only 6 weeks. Most retailers offer consumers a 4-week return window. That leaves two more weeks, on week 5, the item is assessed and approved if there are no flaws, it goes back on the shelf. If the item is not sold in week six, it gets sent to outlet stores to be sold at discounted rates. If it does not get sold there, it ends up being unused and then dumped in the landfill”. (Interview with a Business Analyst at a pure-play fast fashion brand)
#2 Overproduction: “We have an average return rate of 40% in any fast-fashion brand. This is actually not sustainable to the business either ”. (Interview with Business Analyst at a fast-fashion brand)
#3 Decision Fatigue: "If a user searches for a dress and is shown 16,000 options, they end up over-ordering”. (Interview with Shopping innovation Manager)
User Journey: As is
Defining the scope through co-design:
HMW Provide tools that can help consumers willing to make a change, make better buying decisions.
Developing and delivering the service:
A clothing platform that empowers consumers to make conscious choices that contribute towards reducing textile waste generated in London.
Who : End-user:
‘The conscious consumer’ (Primary user).
Service provider: Filter (Primary)
‘Brands or labels that meet the sustainability criteria’ (Secondary)
Second life service provider: Connecting users with a third-party: second-hand clothing stores. Or other registered customers — to reduce the returns of items purchased.
What: Filter is a digital platform that enables the ‘conscious consumer’ (user) to limit their overall clothing consumption while educating them about what defines ‘good’ within fashion.
Digital Touchpoint: Mobile App
How : (Key features)
# 1 Meeting the sustainability agenda:
The service manifesto is to work with brands (secondary service providers) that meet all three criteria of sustainability; environment, product, and people.
#2 Reducing clothing consumption:
Consumers and brands have to set a limit on items consumed and items sold per year to reduce waste.
#3 A circular approach to avoid the landfill:
If certain products are unsold or the consumer wishes to exchange it, the service provides an end-of-life system. The products get circulated between registered users or second-hand clothing stores to provide a closed-loop service preventing textile waste and reducing online returns.
For more details visit https://aashnaparekh.com/
